Daddona: Let County Handle Animal Control

Allentown Mayor Joseph S. Daddona said yesterday he is going to ask Lehigh County officials to assume the responsibility of animal control.

He said the problem of stray animals is an area problem, not a city problem.

"A stray dog does not know where the city boundary ends," he said.

The mayor said if the county were to provide the service, Allentown's animal control officer could be assigned to more important police duties.

"Fighting crime is more important than chasing dogs and responding to complaints about dog dirt on lawns," he said.

A policeman serves as the animal control officer on an eight-hour day shift for five days a week. When he is off duty, patrol officers deal with animal complaints and problems.

Daddona noted that County Executive David K. Bausch recently presented a $12,000 state grant to the city to help fund the animal control officer.

"I am thinking of giving it back to him or the state with the proposal that the county or the state take over the function. That $12,000 only covers about one-third of the cost - the enforcement officer's salary, the police van and materials," he said.

"We will hold the money in escrow. If the county assumes the responsibility of having an animal enforcement officer, we will give the money back to the county. If the county refuses, we will ask the state to take over the responsibility.

"The service may not be as good as it is now in Allentown, but we have to look at ways of cutting city expenditures. Allentown is probably the only community in the county that has an animal enforcement officer."

Police Chief David M. Howells Sr. agreed that the county should assume the responsibility of animal control.

"The mayor and I discussed the possibility of seeing to what extent the county would consider taking over the duties, and we will establish some dialogue with the county and see how receptive they are.

"Yes, it would free up an additional police officer to do more important things. We are so understaffed at this time, I would want the department to get out of the animal control business and have that police officer doing more important things."

The chief said the department could use the animal control van for patrol purposes, to transport the scuba team and equipment and support canine activities. "We could even paint it and use it in undercover operations," he said.